Enstrom F-28F N8627J

Summary

On 9 May 2021 at about 22:40 local time, a Enstrom F-28F registered N8627J, operated by Talaheim Air Service LLC, was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 May 2021 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmer, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.5641, -149.1269

Aircraft

Enstrom F-28F

Registration

N8627J

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1989

Engines

1

Operator

Talaheim Air Service LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palmer → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA038

Nobody was injured.

A loss of drive to the rotor system due to the disengagement of the main belt drive tensioning system, which resulted in a forced landing. The disengagement was due to inadequate clearance between the clutch handle and the roll pin in the handle bellcrank when the handle was in the stowed position.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a helicopter tour flight, the clutch disengage light dimly illuminated, flickered, then fully illuminated. As the pilot began to descend for landing, he felt the belt clutch disengage, and the engine rpm separated from the transmission rpm indicating the helicopter had lost engine power to the rotor system. The pilot entered an autorotation and made a forced landing in a nearby open field. The helicopter touched down with a tailwind of about 13 mph, slid forward and nosed down. A main rotor blade impacted the ground in front of the helicopter followed by a main rotor blade impacting the tail section just forward of the stabilizers, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the main belt drive tensioning system (belt clutch) inadvertently disengaged in flight. Testing found that the disengagement occurred due to inadequate clearance between the clutch handle and the roll pin in the handle bellcrank when the handle was in the stowed position. As a result of this accident, the helicopter manufacturer issued a service bulletin that clarified the rigging requirements for the clutch handle and allowed for a minor modification to the handle to increase clearance between the handle and the roll pin in the bellcrank.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.